Jane has over 20 years experience in genomics and science administration, specifically in the management of large scale sequencing projects ranging from the human genome project through to the recent production of a chromosome-based draft sequence of the wheat genome.

Jane trained as a biochemist and obtained her PhD in 1979 from Southampton University. Her interests developed from the use of biophysical methods to explore membrane biochemistry to mechanisms of intracellular signalling through postdoctoral work in Utrecht, The Netherlands and in the Departments of Biochemistry and Pharmacology at Cambridge University. In 1990 she joined the Medical Research Council and worked with Sir John Sulston and colleagues to establish The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the UK to sequence the human genome. Jane led the establishment and operation of the high throughput sequencing facility at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute from its foundation in 1993 to 2007. In this role she oversaw the delivery of the UKs contribution to the Human Genome Project and many other model organism, pathogen and vertebrate genomes, for which the Institute became renowned. She was a member of the Board of Management of the Sanger Institute for 14 years and has served on international advisory groups for genomics strategy and policies.

From 2007 Jane worked with the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council to establish a new genomics institute focused on plants, animals and microbes. She served as Director of The Genome Analysis Centre in Norwich from 2008 to 2013, laying the foundations for its development into a world-class centre for applied genomics and bioinformatics. Since 2013 she has worked as a consultant to the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium to deliver their goal of a high quality reference sequence for wheat to advance molecular breeding strategies for wheat improvement.